


Aeon Afterlife

by LullabiesCradle



Category: Original Work
Genre: Death is a mall, Gen, I havent exactly chosen where to go next?, Open to suggestions, Probably harry potter to be honest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-19
Updated: 2019-09-19
Packaged: 2020-10-21 18:15:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20697884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LullabiesCradle/pseuds/LullabiesCradle
Summary: Emma died, only to find the afterlife isn't what she expected. She is given the choice of being a ghost, and has unlimited options on where to go next.





	1. Chapter 1

It seemed to be only a moment that I opened my eyes after drifting off to sleep. It was mildly disorienting, and I assumed that I had just slept heavily the night before. That idea was derailed the moment I noticed I was standing outside of what looked to be a mall. Hesitating slightly, I wonder if I had a new illness adding to the laundry list of things wrong with me. Dissociation was a thing, right?

I look down to see that I am wearing my everyday outfit, my green hoodie, my shorts, and my favorite black converses. My hair is pulled back in a ponytail, how I normally wear it on a day out. I reach into my pocket and find nothing. No phone, no wallet, nothing. Even if I don't remember how I got here, I would have at least brought the essentials, right?

Turning on one foot, I see if I can at least recognize the street it's on. Problem number two rears its ugly head. Except for a surprisingly empty parking lot, there's nothing there. Not in a “grass and trees and no development,” way either. More like “existence fades into white nothingness” kinda way.

I blink, then shut my eyes. _Take in a deep breath, stay calm, this is probably a dream_. Opening them again, its still the same sight before me. Pinching my arm a bit too hard does nothing, except maybe leave a red mark.

_STAY CALM, This is fine! Everything is totally fine!_

With a much less graceful turn than the last, I decide to go into the mall. There are really only two options right now. One, this is a very realistic dream. Or two, there will be people in the mall that will tell me where I am and what the absolute fuck is going on. With a short shaky walk, I start to make my way inside.

I'm taking in everything I can see on the way in. The building itself looks very standard. Plain concrete, cheap flowers and some easy to maintain landscaping. A few sets of wide glass doors. Nothing sinister.

I can feel a blast of air conditioning hit me as I open the door. Inside is a long hallway, half of it filled with stairs. What I really notice though, is the info desk at the end of it. Speeding up I half walk, half jog to the desk.

There is a man standing behind the counter, holding up his head on a hand, looking extremely tired. Nothing really stands out about him, except maybe the dark shadows under his eyes. He opens his eyes when I get there, speaking before I can even open my mouth.

“Welcome to Aeon mall. Here to help plan your afterlife,” He drones out. The tone he said it in was the same level of dead-inside from the most seasoned retail workers. I wonder how often he had to repeat that phrase? My train of thought completely derails as I processed what he said.

_Afterlife? I'm dead?_

“From the look on your face, I'm guessing this is your first time here. Would you like a brochure?” He sounded completely apathetic, and entirely unwilling to deal with my shit. Saving the mental breakdown for another few minutes, I nod. He grabs it from under the desk without looking, handing it over with a yawn.

I step to the side and read over it quietly.

WELCOME TO AEON MALL! HERE TO HELP PLAN YOUR AFTERLIFE!

If you are reading this, then it's safe to say this your first time here! Welcome to being dead! We have a few things to state before we get into anything.

THIS IS NOT HEAVEN, HELL, OR ANYTHING ELSE.

We are the in between, of life, and your chosen afterlife. It's up to you to choose where to go!

WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR HOW YOU GOT HERE

Your life ended the moment you arrived. There is no going back, and you might need to accept your life had ended.

WE ARE NOT TO BE BLAMED YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH KARMA.

What you did in life will determine what options you have here. All choices have led you to this point.

Now that that's over, we can start with the fun bits! To answer your first question you might have, every afterlife has a price. Depending on what you did in life, will give you a certain amount of karma. Karma is used as the main currency here. Whatever karma you don't use can be saved for later. Please understand this offer only applies to non-permanent afterlives!

Aeon mall offers a range of choices! We pride ourselves in offering the very best! If this is your first time here, please register at the info desk. You will be given an info card and your K-card.

THANK YOU FOR VISITING!

_I really died? I am actually dead? This isn't some god-awful dream, isn't it? Mom will be pissed, I didn't get my permission slip signed._

I snort and wipe my face carefully. Not that proud of crying, but I need to grieve a bit for the life I lost.

Looking up, I see the attendant has all but fallen asleep standing up. I walk back over to the desk and hand back the pamphlet. He cracks open an eye, staring me down

“You're taking this well. I've seen stronger reactions to most peoples first time. You sure you're okay?” I guess he wasn't so apathetic after all.

I try to grin. “Not quite sure I'm okay, being dead and all that, but I will be eventually. I hope.”

The man huffs. He seems fairly amused by the response.

“Ready for check-in? I just need your full name and your hand-print.”

“Sure thing,” I say, handing him my left hand. “My name is Emma Marie Jones.” He goes over my hand with what reminds me of the portable scanners at Walmart, then quickly types in my name into its screen.

“Nice to meet you, Ms. Jones. I'm Steven. Let me know if you have any questions while I get everything set up,” His quiet offer does a bit to ease the slight panic I feel. I can hear the faint humming of a printer from somewhere under the desk. My mind wanders while it runs.

“Hey, I gotta ask. Are you human? Like, is this your afterlife?”

This actually gets a laugh from him. Its kinda gentle, and a bit rough making me think it doesn't happen all that often. “Not really, I gave up being a human a while ago. I didn't have enough karma for my first choice, and none of the other options sounded that appealing. I work here part-time to get my karma score up.” He doesn't say much more, writing something down on the back of what looks like a map.

The humming stops, and he reaches under the desk once more to grab two small cards. Handing them both over to me, he says, “These two are your info and karma cards. Info is used like an ID, and karma is like a credit card. Make sure you don't lose them.”

I skim over both of them. My info card seems like it holds the basic bits of my last life.

NAME: Emma Marie Jones

AGE OF DEATH: 18

CAUSE: Epilepsy induced seizure

LIFE COUNT: 1

I'll be honest, I was a bit upset at my cause of death. It's a bit embarrassing to think that my parents found my body in the morning, choked to death on my own vomit. I mean I knew it might happen, but it still sucks.

The karma card didn't seem to be all that interesting. Set up just like a credit card from life. I looked up at Steven, and asked, “Is there any way to check how much karma I have? How is that number even determined?”

He types something into the scanner again, replying as it loaded. “Well, Karma has the basis of good actions equal more, bad actions mean less. However, there are modifiers. If you do good, while having bad things happen, you can earn one and a half, or even double the normal karma. I'm guessing from the cause of death, you may have a few modifiers added.”

_Makes sense, I'll probably get quite a few considering all the health issues and whatnot._

“It looks like you have around eight thousand, three hundred. Gonna be honest, the best choice is probably ghosting for a bit, that or reincarnation. All the good options are a bit too much for you,”

_Well, maybe not. However,_

“Being a ghost is an actual option? Ghosts are real?” I was a bit shocked. Never really believed in the paranormal before.

Nodding, Steven explained, “Yeah, they are a thing. Ghosts are a bit different from what people believe, though. While they are invisible to most people, and they can't interact with many things, they aren't limited to one spot. They can go anywhere they have read, seen, or heard about. It's one of the better choices out there.”

“Read about? Does that include stories?” I asked eagerly. That could be a hell of a game-changer.

He nodded, looking a bit excited too. “Yeah! Every book, movie, and show took place in an alternate reality. Everything is possible, with infinite realities and all that. I will say though, that if you choose this option, you can really mess with the timeline if you aren't careful.”

Well then. That pretty much sealed it. In my last life, I was a bit of a nerd. Books, anime, and TV were my best friends. Even if I might mess up major events, it sounded like it was worth it.

With a beaming smile, I asked, “Where do I sign up?”

Steven gave a small grin, and handed the map he was writing on. “Already wrote down the directions, kinda figured you were the type. Have a nice afterlife, Emma.” He waved as I left, my mind swirling with one single thought.

_Where to go first?_


	2. Chapter 2

Do you ever wonder what your life has been leading up to? The climax, the most important moment you will have. I am thinking that very thought as I sit in the last seat at my own funeral. And I will tell you now, that thought is absolute horseshit.

It's so unfair! I never got my special moment. Dead at 18, choked to death on my own puke. After a very shocking few hours, where I learned that death brings you to an honest-to-god mall. Where you have to buy your own afterlife. You apparently don't even earn enough in your first life most of the time!

I really only had two options. Reincarnation, or being a ghost. So you can probably guess which option I chose, considering I'm staring at my own corpse lying in a casket. While I will admit, it is a very nice casket, with the stained wood and cream-colored padding, I have to object to the fact they decided my final outfit was a frilly white dress. I would say I wouldn't be caught dead in it, but I don't seem to have much of a choice, do I?

My funeral has a surprising amount of people, it looks as if half the town is here. Although, I am not quite sure all of them are sincere. I doubt many of them are actually here for me, more than likely they are here to support my family. I know for a fact that I didn't so much as talk to half the people here. As the town's pastor begins his speech, I stand up to walk to the front. Not like I'm disturbing anything, considering they can't see me.

The very front row holds my family. Mom, dad, and my little brother Jacob. Each one of them are wearing black, formal clothes. Guess they didn't listen when I requested a happy, colorful funeral. Moms eyes are red and puffy, and Jacob is crying quietly. Dad looks like he is trying his best to keep a straight face. My heart breaks a little, knowing I left them like this.

In the few rows behind them is my extended family. Aunts, uncles, cousins. Grandma is there too. She looks incredibly tired, and I'm willing to bet she has been cooking for the whole thing. Never did like hiring caterers for events, always said her cooking was better.

The next few rows is filled with old classmates. None of them were particularly close. I know for sure a few them bullied me in high school, no clue why they're here. My main tormentor, Hannah Miller, is sure playing up the tears. When she told me sophomore year to go die in a hole, she probably didn't know it would actually happen! Jokes on her though, I got to die in my sleep!

The rest of them are neighbors and people I'd see around town. Nobody too interesting. I block out the rest of the pasters speech, sitting back down in the back row. When finding myself back on earth, I had a book in my hands. I'm guessing that it's given to all new spirits. Or at least I think so, given the title.

A GHOSTS GUIDE TO LIVING

It's a plain blue book, hardcover and rather small. Guess there wasn't much to write about. I check the back and its spine hoping I could find the authors name. Except for the gold lettering on the front, it's completely plain. I open to the first page, and there is a table of contents.

1)RULES

2)TRAVEL GUIDE

3)SUGGESTIONS

Flipping to the next page greets me with bold text, in what looks like times new roman. I wonder if the afterlife has Microsoft word too?

**All actions have consequences**. Whether the cost will be a new reality branching off or ruining your karma score, anything you do will affect something in the end.

**You have ten years**. Contracts will be renewed every ten years, and you will need to have the funds beforehand.

**You are not invincible**. Each reality has its own rules for spirits, and there are ways you can be harmed. If at any point you die in this form, you will be returned to Aeon mall, with your contract ended early.

That last point has me thinking. 'Each reality has its own rules.' Does that mean if I go somewhere like supernatural, I could get hunted? In harry potter, would wizards be able to see me? What about stories that didn't even talk about ghosts? Definitely food for thought. Onto the next page!

**Travel guide**

If the salesman didn't explain already, you are able to enter any reality you have knowledge of. To enter a specific time and place, you must be deliberate. A few simple tips may help you get to your preferred destination.

To get anywhere is a matter of will. You must have the willpower to move yourself. The less you know about a place, the more will power it will take. Be warned, its recommended you have a decent idea of the time and place you aim for.

Holding a reference item may help. Let's start with an example. What if you wanted to go to paris? The best thing to start with a picture taken the day you want to travel to. Hold it in your hands, and close your eyes. Think to yourself, _I am in Paris. When I open my eyes, I will see Paris_. Repeat the phrase two or three times, and open. If done right, you should arrive at the correct time and place!

If you don't have a picture, there are a few acceptable replacements. Books, newspapers, even a TV set to the correct place! Just replace the item and the place in the phrase for your desired outcome!

_Well, that answers how you get there, what when your there? _I flip to the next page, hoping that the last portion might list it.

Suggestions

  1. Most realities follow the rule of stamina. The more actions you do in one day, the more energy it will take. Be careful, and plan accordingly.

  2. Be wise about what actions you take. Just like in your last life, what you do will affect your karma score. Being a ghost is no exception.

  3. Each action you take will affect the reality your in. Small things, like simply watching, or maybe moving things won't affect much. Larger things, like talking or scaring people can make reality branch off into a new timeline. Be smart about this.

That seemed to be it. Not much info to give I guess. I close the book and look up, to see everyone has already left. How long was I reading? Standing slowly, I walk to the door and reach for the handle out of habit. My hand floats through, and I fall through the door.

_ I forgot I have to actively think about moving things now. _Standing back up, I try to make sense of my surroundings. I never really thought about how I got into the room in the first place. Looking out the windows of the hallway I found myself in, I can see the cemetery out back. Considering I had a casket instead of an urn, that's probably where everyone went. Rather than searching for a door, I walk straight through the wall this time. Feels a bit odd, but I guess I have to get used to that.

I can see the group of people walking to the parking lot, but there is still a decent amount crowded around a grave. I walk over in time to see my family standing over a headstone. My little brother has almost stopped crying by now, and it looks like they are about to leave too. Seems like as a good time as ever to try and move something.

When I was alive, every time before I would leave somewhere, I'd ruffle Jacob's hair. Started out as a way to annoy him, but became a form of affection. Thinking hard about it, I reach out.

As I brush my hand against his head, he freezes like he does at Christmas when a relative he doesn't like forces a hug on him. He turns around, probably expecting one of our uncles. His mouth drops when he sees nobody is there.

“Emma?” He whispers it so quietly, mom and dad don't notice. I crack a grin, knowing he can't see me. I lean down next to his ear and whisper the phrase I said so many times before.

“Love you little bro.”

He jumps, and starts crying again. I feel a little bad that I caused that reaction, but it feels good to be able to say that one last time. I back up, watching him grab mom for a hug. Its time for me to let them go.

Closing my eyes, I think back to what the book said. _I am home. When I open my eyes, I will be in my room. _I repeat a few time for good measure and open my eyes. Im standing to the left of my bed, facing my bookshelf. My bed is messy and unmade, and I can have clothes strewn out on the floor. _Moms probably upset I left her a mess to clean up again._

I turn to see myself in my dressers mirror. I half expected to not see anything, but its just my normal reflection. Mousy brown hair, up in a ponytail. My pale skin splattered with freckles along the nose. Dull green eyes look back at me.

I take a good look around me, trying to burn the image in my head. I won't be back here for a while. Once I'm sure it will stay, I turn back to my bookshelf and ask myself the same question I had before.

_Where should I go?_


End file.
